The first thing that people tell you when you arrive in Kathmandu is that the media have been unjustly concentrating on the distruction. After all Kathmandu is still standing and people are getting on with their lives, an extremely difficult task with 90% less tourists than usual. I vow to take pictures of all the intact buildings and to spread the word: it’s ok to come back!
New apartment buildings and family homes in Bishalnagar where I live
Patan or Lalitpur, Durbar Square: once an incredibly high concentration of finest ancient art, temples, idols, ashoka pillars. A lot of it is still standing, propped up by wooden beams,
still of breathtaking beauty
entire temples vanished,
a huge gap where a temple once stood
the tourists gone.
here our 10% of the tourists that didn’t cancel their trip to Nepal, a photographer at work.
a broken pillar
A question always on my mind: why did some buildings collapse and others remaind standing? (knowing the answers from engineers, geologists, seismologists …)
old Newar type buildings around Durbar square in Patan holding their ground
Building according to standarts helps: framing construction.
earthquake safe framing construction
Then I saw a house like the one above tiltet 45 degrees because the ground underneath water and sand had given way. I was on a crowded bus and couldn’t take a picture.
I am fascinated by wooden beams keeping old houses from falling over
Magic wooden beams
Places of worship amidst the rubble
Garuda, Pray for the beloved country!
Ganesh, share your wisdom, remove the obstacles!
Kathmandu, walking to Durbar Square, once one of the most awe-inspiring places in Kathmandu, with hundreds of tourists and locals mingling, greeting, chatting, doing business
right around the corner from the most luxurious shopping street
not so much has changed
five rupees for a pictures? But the tourists are not there
gerburgkamm 
Leave a comment